The Best Portable Vaporizer (so far)

If you’re vaporizing high-quality cannabis with regularity, we recommend the Crafty, a new portable model from Storz and Bickel, makers of the legendary tabletop Volcano vaporizer. Of the 10 models we tested, the Crafty was one of the few portable vaporizers that could produce the kind of truly tasty, powerful vapor you get from a much bigger unit. At $340, the Crafty costs significantly more than some of its closest competitors, but it will make up that difference many times over by providing more efficient vaporizing than its peers. The Crafty heats the chamber and passes hot air through the herb at the optimal pre-combustion level, keeping temperature constant for the duration of a session, while a cooling unit and swiveling straw keep potent draws comfortable and tasty. The results: a cleaner, purer, better tasting vape and higher highs than the competition.

Last Updated: May 6, 2015

We updated the prices of our main and step-up picks: The Crafty was reduced from $400 to $340, and the Mighty from $470 to $400.

April 17, 2015:
After testing 10 different vaporizers, we found the Crafty produced the freshest-tasting, best quality vapor when compared to the competition. It’s intuitive to use, and was also the easiest to maintain and clean of any model we tested. Plus, it packs some useful design features like vibration and LED alerts to signal when its ready to go.

November 14, 2014:
We're in the middle of testing several new models, so we're setting this to wait status until we can refresh the guide.

At about the size of a large bar of soap, it’s not the most discreet package. But intuitive design touches (like a vibrating reminder before it powers down and staying on automatically when it senses a breath) are worth the bulk. You get about 45 minutes of active use per charge using a Micro-USB connection, which is a lot of getting high for two casual or one active person over the course of a day. Unlike many other vapes we tried, you can use the Crafty while it’s plugged in and being charged. And nearly every section can be taken apart for a thorough cleaning, which means better vapor over a longer lifespan.

The Crafty is more efficient at vaporizing than its peers by heating herb to optimal pre-combustion temperature for a steady stream of clean, tasty, potent vapor. It’s expensive, but its efficiency will help you save on your weed budget.

If you can’t get the Crafty, our runner-up is the Firefly ($270). Its performance and vapor output was just as great as the Crafty’s, but it’s not quite as intuitive to use and has shorter battery life. And, its temperature control is much less precise, which can result in inefficient use of your herb.

The Firefly produces high-quality vapor and costs less than the Crafty. But it’s not as intuitive to use, and temperature control is less precise, which can lead to herb waste.

If you have some extra money and wear looser jeans, get the $400 Mighty. It has an even more intuitive design than the Crafty, with temperature controls that don’t require smartphone app access, and it has twice the battery power of the Crafty, so it’s a good pick for people who share with large groups. However, the Mighty is also more expensive and bulkier than our pick. (Think an iPhone 6 with an extra inch of thickness.)

The $400 Mighty produces the same constant heat and high-quality vapor that the Crafty does, but with twice the battery life and temperature control arrows right on the body of the vaporizer. However, it’s bulkier and more expensive than our pick.

While we started this search hoping to find a good portable vaporizing pen, I can’t recommend any of them. They don’t offer good temperature control, and they’re not being manufactured to the same standards as larger vaporizers.

I also spoke with Andrew Tarantola, who frequently reviews portable vaporizers for Gizmodo, and Bobby Black, who organizes High Times magazine’s annual “Vaporizer Buyer’s Guide.” We picked our finalists using their expert input, my own experiences, and aggregated reviews from top vaporizer review websites (Vapor Blog, Vaporizer Review, and Vape Critic).

Should I get one?

You end up saving a lot of money on your herb budget while getting just as medicated/high.

Both hard science and anecdotal evidence indicate that vaporizing cannabis offers both the health benefits and euphoric properties of smoking a joint while eliminating potentially harmful chemicals produced by combustion, including naphthalene, benzene, and toluene. (To be clear, there’s no positive link between smoking marijuana and lung cancer, but that doesn’t make it harmless, either). Vaporizing also offers a “cleaner” taste and, for some, a clearer, longer-lasting cerebral effect than smoking. And it’s a far more efficient way to ingest cannabis than smoking, so you end up saving a lot of money on your herb budget while getting just as medicated/high.

This study by California NORML compared combusted smoke to vapor using a large Storz and Bickel model. “A quantitative analysis found that the Volcano® delivered 46% of the THC into vapor following three 45-second exposures of the sample to the heat. This compares favorably with the typical efficiency of marijuana cigarettes as observed in other studies, which depending on conditions can fall below 25% due to loss of THC in sidestream smoke.”

If you’re trying to make the switch from smoking to vaporizing, this is a great pick for both beginners and experienced consumers.

A portable vaporizer is a non-returnable product, generally, so unless you’ve had experience with an industry-standard vaporizer like the Volcano, it’s hard to know if the vaporizer you own is giving you the best vapor possible. If you’ve only had experience with smaller, cheaper, vaporizers, invest in one of our picks. Yes, they’re expensive, but so is marijuana. The more efficiently a vaporizer can release pharmacological and flavor compounds from cannabis, the more money you save over time.

How do I know if I’m getting good vapor?

Vapor should taste like the herb does when you open up a fresh bag. While THC, CBD, and all the cannabinoids have no taste or smell, marijuana also has flavorful terpenes and flavonoids, and you should really be tasting those. Use your raw material as the basis—the more pungent your raw material, the easier you can tell. A vapor can be visible, but a vapor is distinguishable from smoke.

The Storz and Bickel Volcano vaporizer is the Rolls Royce of vaporizers, setting the standard for what vapor should taste and feel like; if you’ve tried it, measure your vaporizer’s output against that. The Volcano is a big device that isn’t meant to be portable, though, so we didn’t consider it here.

Your vapor shouldn’t taste of plastic, which may indicate that the heating element is breaking down some of the plastic in your device. It also shouldn’t taste burnt, which indicates that the device’s temperature is too high.

How we picked & tested

To narrow down the list of testers, I spoke with Andrew Tarantola, who frequently reviews portable vaporizers for Gizmodo, and Bobby Black, who organizes High Times magazine’s annual “Vaporizer Buyer’s Guide.” Based on their expert input, my own experiences, aggregated reviews from top vaporizer review websites (Vapor Blog, Vaporizer Review, and Vape Critic), and informal discussions with various friends and colleagues, I considered 23 top-rated vaporizers and pens before we narrowed our list down. However, I decided against recommending a particular pen because even the better ones just don’t seem to be manufactured as well as pocket vaporizers (see Why no pens?).

To test, I used all of the vaporizers with ground flowers, following manufacturer’s instructions. I tested each for clean taste, potency, temperature, portability, and battery life. I evaluated how intuitive each vaporizer was to use and how efficiently each vaped material (based on what the plant matter looked like once spent). Ease of cleaning was an important factor, as the ones that reach combustion are much harder to clean and keep clean. I also invited friends to use the pens, noting which required more explanation on how to use.

In a future update we’d like to have the vapes tested for both volume of psychoactive compounds extracted and negative chemicals present. We tried to get it done in time for this update but weren’t able to find the lab with the right equipment.

Our pick

The Crafty is more efficient at vaporizing than its peers by heating herb to optimal pre-combustion temperature for a steady stream of clean, tasty, potent vapor. It’s expensive, but its efficiency will help you save on your weed budget.

The Crafty produced the freshest-tasting, best quality vapor in our tests. It’s intuitive to use, and it was the easiest to maintain and clean of all the models we looked at. At 4.3” x 2.2” x 1.3” and 0.3 lbs. (like a large bar of soap), it’s not the smallest vaporizer available, but it packs a lot of great design into a fairly small package, with smart touches like a swiveling straw for intuitive, stay-cool draws, a vibrating and LED alert to indicate readiness, and 45 minutes of usage time out of a single charge from standard Micro-USB. It’s compatible with both flowers and wax (if you use a small liquid pad, which is included). While you can adjust the temperature using a smartphone app, the default temperature produces optimal vapor thick with flavor and potency.

Good temperature control is probably the most important element in a vaporizer, as it controls how much THC and cannabinoids you’re getting out of your raw materials as well as how safe that vapor will be. Vaporizers generally use conductive heat, in which something hot touches the herb directly, or convection heat, in which uniformly hot air passes through the herb. The Crafty (and the sister model the Mighty) use a bit of both, keeping your herb dialed in to that good range for as long as you keep the vaporizer battery active, which is probably why they produced the best tasting, most effective vapor of all the models we tried.

The Crafty’s default temperature (356 degrees Fahrenheit) is hot enough to release marijuana’s psychoactive cannabinoids as a fine vapor without burning any of the surrounding plant matter. Many other models promise to approximate this temperature but fail to deliver, offering vapor hits that either barely register or cross the line into “toasting” or even combusting your plant material or extracts. The Crafty provides the palate with a steady stream of Volcano-quality vapor that tastes of fresh cannabis. Using a dedicated cellphone app, Crafty users can change the device’s heating elements to reach a different temperature, but you only really need to adjust if you’re switching between flowers and concentrates. You can also double click the button for a “booster” temperature of 383 degrees, but the default temperature will be best for most people.

With the Crafty, if you pull harder on the straw, you get more vapor—that’s not always the case with other vaporizers.

The heating elements are paired with the Crafty’s cooling unit, which screws on and off of the top of it. A well-integrated straw swivels out from the top and was the most intuitive drawing device we tested, providing cool vapor. With the Crafty, if you pull harder on the straw, you get more vapor—that’s not always the case with other vaporizers.

The one-button operation is simple and intuitive, and even my friends who’d never used it before had no trouble figuring it out. Click the button once and it immediately begins heating up to your target temperature. When it’s ready to inhale off, an indicator light turns from red to green, and the entire device vibrates twice like one of those things they give you at a restaurant to alert you when your table’s ready. (Someday I hope to be handed one at an actual restaurant so that I can take a few tasty vape hits with my party of four right before we’re seated!) The vibration means that if you’re in public, you can discreetly heat the Crafty up while it’s in your pocket and know when it’s ready without having to look at it.

The vibrating/LED alert also goes off after one minute of inactivity. To keep it active, press the button or draw on the straw; otherwise, you can let it automatically shut down to conserve battery power. The charge generally lasts through 45 minutes of use, which isn’t the best battery power available. However, it should be plenty for a person using recreationally with a few friends or someone who needs to medicate throughout the day. It’s just not enough for someone who wants to pass many chambers around at a big party.

The Crafty also comes with a “filling aid”, which is a grinding tool and little doughnut-shaped attachment to help guide your chopped herb in without spillage. You can see how it works in Redditor Skullydazed’s demo video. It’s nice but not required. Each chamber holds provided about 10-15 satisfying pulls before needing to be refilled.

The Crafty works off a single lithium-ion battery that charges in about two hours from an outlet and holds a charge better than any comparable model. It can be recharged using any Micro-USB cable, and unlike a lot of other vapes, it can be used while it’s being recharged. However, Vape Critic notes that, “The big BUT here is that it won’t turn on if the battery is completely drained; it’s [sic] needs to be about 20% charged first before you can use it.”

Storz and Bickels designed the Crafty with easy cleaning in mind, a feature that you shouldn’t overlook. A vaporizer that doesn’t get cleaned produces vapor that can taste stale, and that’s definitely not good. As you can see in this video, the Crafty can be taken apart completely for deep cleaning in all the nooks and crannies. The original kit comes with replacement screens and seals.

The Crafty is manufactured in Germany and comes with a two-year warranty.

Vape Critic gives it a 97/100, making it the best rated vape on the list.

In a detailed post, Redditor Skullydazed gave the Crafty a glowing review, saying, “This has the vapor production of the Solo, the portability of the Indica, and battery life somewhere in the middle. If you don’t need all day battery life or you can charge it between uses the Crafty will serve you better than any other vaporizer on the market. If that’s what you want, and you can bring yourself to spend $400, you will not regret the purchase.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers

If stealth is your main concern, the Crafty can be used discreetly in some instances as it looks like a breathalyzer or a medical device, but it’s more obviously bulky and suspicious than a “vape pen.” Still, it will fit in your pocket along with a thin wallet and phone.

Adjusting the temperature requires a smartphone app, which is a slight annoyance, but unless you are switching between flowers and concentrates, you won’t need to change the temperature.

As we said above, there are other vaporizers with better battery power than the Crafty’s 45 minutes, but we didn’t think this would be an issue for most people.

Runner-up

The Firefly produces high-quality vapor and costs less than the Crafty. But it’s not as intuitive to use, and temperature control is less precise, which can lead to herb waste.

If you can’t get the Crafty, the Firefly produces excellent vapor, and at $270, it’s significantly cheaper. However, it’s not nearly as user-friendly and the battery life will be a big concern when using it on the go. At 5” x 2” x 0.75”, it’s a bit thinner and longer than the Crafty, with a sleek magnetic face that you remove to fill a borosilicate glass chamber.

The biggest drawback is the learning curve for new users—pressing and holding the button longer heats the herb to higher temperatures with convection heat. The company markets this as a feature that allows you to adjust each draw on the fly. However, it can also mean inconsistency—press too long and you may reach combustion, which tastes bad; not long enough and you’re inefficient with your weed, which is a waste of money.

The battery life was an issue, too. Vape Critic says, “Battery life is just OK at about 25-30 draws, but it does recharge quickly (45 mins), and if you wanted to you could pick up some spare batteries with it because it’s actually removable.” Gizmodo’s Andrew Tarantola says a charge “lasts roughly 50 hits before dying.” We’d split the difference between the two estimates; in our tests, the Firefly’s charge didn’t last as long as the Crafty’s. On the upside, you can buy a spare battery to swap in as needed.

The upgrade pick

The $400 Mighty produces the same constant heat and high-quality vapor that the Crafty does, but with twice the battery life and temperature control arrows right on the body of the vaporizer. However, it’s bulkier and more expensive than our pick.

For those with bigger pockets (both literally and figuratively), Storz and Bickel has also released the Mighty ($400) which has the same basic design as the Crafty but with twice the battery capacity and temperature controls integrated into the device (instead of via an app). This one is even more intuitive than the Crafty, since the smartphone app is replaced with arrow buttons to adjust heat to the perfect spot.

Like the Crafty, the Mighty can be taken apart piece by piece for a fastidious and thorough cleaning. It’s quite big at 5.5” x 3.2” x 1.2” (similar to an inch-thicker iPhone 6) and weighs half a pound, so it’s even less discreet than the Crafty. But if longer battery life and more intuitive controls matter (say if you’re a person who likes to share with large groups or swap between flowers and concentrates), the Mighty is worth the extra cash.

Why no pens?

Pre-loading even a small amount of cannabis extracts/concentrates into a vape pen allows a user to ingest a large amount of THC in public or semi-public areas without reloading the device, drawing unwanted attention or creating a lot of smoke. Though the appeal is obvious, frequent consumers of cannabis should consider using vape pens only for these stealthy purposes, since they don’t actually vaporize cannabis and cannabis concentrates— instead, pens heat them beyond that to the point of light combustion.

Vape pens are also typically less efficient than portable models. That means less durability and more required maintenance. And the cheapest ones could be downright dangerous to your health if made with inferior materials or a flawed design.

Personally, I don’t generally recommend vape pens, as I feel they function poorly. You don’t have sufficient temperature control, and you wind up inhaling very close to the heating element. They tend to be significantly cheaper than quality portable vaporizers ($60 vs. $200+) and have a disposable feel to them. The pen world still feels like the wild, wild west: Even the established companies are coming out with new variations all the time, and you can’t even keep them all straight within one manufacturer.

When you’re inhaling from something several times a day, you want to be confident that it’s safe to use, and there just isn’t a long enough track record with pens. I feel more comfortable recommending pocket vaporizers, which are starting to coalesce around some established brands and industry standards.

What about less expensive vaporizers?

Those who know me know I’m not a free spending type, so I don’t take the price lightly. But most people are dropping around $50 for an 1/8 oz for plant material; even more with wax. You’re putting expensive material into your vape and then breathing fumes in from it. You want something built with quality materials that won’t break down; based on Storz & Bickel’s track record, I feel confident their products will last a long time.

More expensive vapes like our picks offer two major advantages: better temperature control, often through convection, and cooler vapor with extra distance between the mouthpiece and the heating element. These two things prevent overheating (combustion chemicals) and underheating (inefficient use of cannabis). You could pay $100 less for something, but start to factor in any small advantage in efficiently converting your cannabis into bioavailable vapor over the course of the life of the device and a $200+ vape is going to pay for itself many times over.

Competition

Storz and Bickel’s Plenty works well at actually providing temperature-controlled, tasty vapor hits in a highly-efficient manner. You can also load a lot into it at once and then use it throughout the day (for light users) or not have to reload it a bunch of times per session (for heavy users). It’s well constructed and easy to clean/maintain compared to the other models. The drawbacks, however, are obvious. It’s way too big to be “portable” when compared to the other devices (and has to be plugged in), and it’s not at all stealthy (except perhaps in that it looks like a soldering iron more than it does drug paraphernalia). That said, it would fit in your suitcase a lot easier than a Volcano, for example. So I think it would be a good choice for a very narrow window of user, but it’s not something I’d recommend overall.

The Ploom Pax ($200) offers a high-quality experience at a lower price point in one of the most discreet forms available. The Pax is often cited as the best example of a conduction heat vaporizer, which means that temperatures are harder to control. The Pax lacks the Crafty’s convection air heating, precision, and clean taste. Reviewers tend to praise the Pax’s sleek look but are less enthusiastic about its too hot vapor and “light-to-medium density draws.”

At the low end of the price scale, the Magic Flight Launch Box ($120) was a Wirecutter pick in 2012, remains a favorite of the Reddit marijuana community, and is a mighty fine option for those with less to spend (though it runs off rechargeable batteries instead of a wall charge, includes a few janky parts you’ve got to work with, and can’t come close to the clean vapor produced by the Crafty).

The portable Arizer Air ($260) gets praise from Gizmodo’s Andrew Tarantola for strong vapor at higher temps, but other reviews complain about heavy draw power needed. The Air has a separate mouthpiece which means assembly with delicate parts is required before getting high. We didn’t call this in for tests, but may test it in a future update.

The Arizer Solo ($240) is priced well for its vapor quality, but it’s a little too big to be portable. See Redditor Skullydazed’s size comparison photo, with the Crafty on the left and the giant Solo in the middle.

The Magic Flight Noir Muad Dib concentrate device ($170) works well, and I really like that there’s a clear display window, making it easy to load and providing nice hits. The drawback is that it has external batteries as opposed to taking a charge. But still, compared with using a blowtorch and a nail, it’s an elegant solution to smoking oil, and it has some clear advantages over the oil pens if you’re not that concerned about stealth.

“We tested the Quickdraw X3 ($80) which works with raw marijuana, waxes and oils, and the G Pen ($65) and Atmos Raw ($130) for concentrates. These pens don’t deliver as precise a hit or work as efficiently as our picks, but they fit in your pocket easily and can be used very stealthily. Still, we don’t feel comfortable recommending any pens yet.

What to look forward to

Ploom recently came out with the Pax 2. We weren’t able to include it in this round of testing. Early reviews praise its elegant design, portability, and battery life. Vape Critic gives it a 91/100 and says, “It’s tiny, it weighs nothing and it fits anywhere. When I leave home and want to take a vape with me this is one of the first models I think of.”

On Reddit, Ploompaxmod says, “The flaws the original PAX had have been patched, and the PAX 2 is basically a step up in every way…”

However, a Sweethome editor has been testing the Pax 2 for a couple weeks, and early notes reflect what was said about the original Pax (which we discuss in the competition section above). Its primary appeal is sleek, discreet design—like a small USB battery pack that’s unlikely to get noticed even while sitting out in the open. It has an easy-to-use interface and four-level temperature adjustment on the device itself, and it’s also got an easy-to-clean oven for your herb. But downsides include a proprietary induction charging dock (we’d prefer to stick to the more ubiquitous Micro-USB) and a mouthpiece that almost guarantees you’ll burn your mouth with hot vapor—Every. Single. Time. And finally, the jury is still out on vapor quality—early tests aren’t impressing anyone, but we’ll update further when we’re able to compare head-to-head against the Crafty.

Wrapping it up

The Crafty packs the best in vaporizer technology into a discreet, durable package. With intuitive controls and excellent, constant heat control, it will give you the most high from your weed without the unwanted chemicals from combustion.

Much love for the Magic Flight Launch Box. Everyone I’ve introduced to it has asked me where to buy one.

http://www.theuniversalsteve.com Anonymous

I get it. You posted this on 4/20. The only time I’ve ever seen one of these is when Ted Danson used one on Bored to Death.

eq

“Vaporizes Weed: Yes”I lol’d

Goddang

thats because many ‘vaporizers’ out there, like the Atmos, Dont. They combust it, unless you modify it by yourself to make it so.

Brad Turcotte

“king

ronc69

I may be late to the party but Amazon no longer sells the Magic Flight Box. Everything else for it, but not it. Crap.

http://www.vaporexperts.com/ Shane

Good info. There’s lots of competition in the portable vape market.

VapeForest.com

The MFLB is definitely a decent portable for the cost (roughly $120) and while it might taste a little bit like wood, at least it doesn’t taste like plastic.

Pierre Arrighi

“You’re getting what you paid for..” I’ve only had the Pax for 9 months and it already died on me. Kept it clean as a whistle and maintained it very well. Now Ploom tells me their 10 year warranty is not covered through eBay purchases and I’ve got a $250 paperweight. The original listing mentioned the warranty! Sorry if I’m salty, but let this be a word of warning to potential Pax buyers. I’ve heard many stories of the mouthpiece sticking, the temp light being faulty, etc. Also, in my experience, the unit leaks smell/odor more and more over time. At least if you’re going to buy a Pax, be wary of going through any re-seller!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Sorry for the issues. Was there a particular reason you didn’t go through Vape World or directly from Ploom?

Pierre Arrighi

Not really. $30 discount, plus the eBay listing mentioned the warranty. Had I understood clearly that the manufacturer would not honor it (and the seller was outright lying) I would have obviously paid the difference.

As far as I can tell, the unit is legit and not a knock-off. It was purchased from a US seller and has the serial inside, which I provided Ploom. You’d think for $250 they would be more active about educating their consumers and willing to protect them. Their policy isn’t very consumer-friendly, or helpful.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Ah. I see. Sorry – Thanks for the feedback though!

reda

$120 is cheap!?!?!?!?!? lol at that

http://www.vaporizers.com/ Vaporizers.com

Actually, it goes on sale on sites like eBay for around $75.

http://www.thedabshack.com www.thedabshack.com

You can get it for $99 and free shipping at The Dab Shack!

rabotash

They need an article on so called “E-cigs”. And mods.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Not sure that we’ll touch on it but not out of the question!

vapesrush

The PAX has gained lots of popularity in the last year or so for being slick and stylish. As per desktop vaporizers, The Volcano Vaporizer has been one hard to miss.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We’re in the middle of updating this guide. Check back soon!

Patrick

Tony – Do you know about when the new guide should be out?

Thanks!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

It’s being worked on, but no formal ETA.

mat

any update on when this might be available? thanks!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

No ETA. Sorry.

MR

Testing this must have been fun.

Shello

I just thought about why this might go up today, happy holidays!

Brian

Did you guys take a look at the Flowermate v5.0s for a budget pick? I picked mine up for $85 and love it. New Mini model just came out with micro-usb charging.

Ganda Suthivarakom

We didn’t test the Flowermate and it didn’t come up in our discussions with experts, but we can take a look in an update. How do you like the temperature control and vapor quality?

Brian

It’s got a 3 setting temperature control to switch between 385f, 400f, and 415f. I find the first two options to be the sweet spot. Battery lasts a long time. Vapor draw tastes good once you do some dry runs or sessions with tea to get rid of the new device taste. Ceramic bowl means I’m not worrying about inhaling plastic vapor. LED in the bowl makes it easy to see inside and clean.

DY

I like the Firefly because the process of using it is relaxing and most similar to a pipe. There is no heat up time nor is there a worry about having to shut it off because it’s excessively draining the battery or heating the herb. It’s like a pipe – pick it up, use it, put it down and don’t think about it. Having a second battery and external charger eliminates that concern. When it runs out I swap them. I don’t have to remember to charge it every time or use it with a power cord running to the wall.

Other reviews say the Crafty takes a couple of minutes to heat up. The one minute shut off would stress me out. I’d have to constantly think about whether I’m going to take another hit? Do I want to wait for it to heat up again? Am I draining the battery?

The biggest downside of the Firefly is handing it to someone else to use. It takes a long explanation and the relationship between the heat and draw speed isn’t something you get right away.

But for my own use, smoking is a chill activity I do for relaxation and I don’t want to feel like I have to babysit the vape.

TX2013

I’m extremely disappointed that you choose to include vaporizers in your reviews. Will you also begin reviewing other drug paraphernalia? I can’t wait to know your opinion the most efficient crack pipes, your thoughts on the tensile strength of heroin needles, and the papers with the best burn rates.

There is a line. Are vaporizers illegal? No, but quickly being outlawed to minors and regulated like smoking. Are they good for you? Inconclusive, but unlikely.

Until you are able to determine what the ingredients of the vapor chemicals and until there is an independent source to validate, I hope you will refrain from reviewing items that lead people to potentially harm themselves without having the full picture of what they are doing. I enjoy your publication and hope to see it continue in an appropriate and responsible manner.

Okay, now let the snarky, pro-vapor comments begin

Kevin Saunders

They already review drug paraphernalia. Strangely no one raised similar complaints in their review of coffeemakers, and the main objections to their review of breathalyzers was that they were being too negative.

Vaporizers are a product of interest to many of their readers. For most readers considering use of a vaporizer, it would be replacing smoking, which is a clear upgrade health-wise. Their write-up makes no attempt to claim vaping is harmless, only that it avoids certain known risks of smoking, which is true. Your concerns seem baseless, or at the least, very selectively applied.

mark

these are HERB vapes, not ecigs.

“determine what the ingredients of the vapor chemicals and until there is an independent source to validate”

..doesn’t apply here… these are for plant matter. you put the plant matter directly in the “oven”. they heat the oils enough to vaporize, but there’s no combustion. (no tar, etc)

and since certain herbs are legal for medicinal use, plant vapes are a perfectly legitimate gadget to cover since they offer alternative means to medicate.

so TX.. at least educate yourself in the differences before you go preaching based on the headline, ok?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Wonderful response thank you!

Jacqui Cheng

Hello. This guide has existed since 2012, and we just recently updated it with significant amounts of new research. For the past three years, our readers have really appreciated that guide and we’ve gotten mounds of positive feedback from people who have been helped. Our number one goal is to help readers by presenting the research and testing that we’ve done in order to help them save time on their own research, and not waste money on bad products.

I feel that we have been very transparent in this guide about what we do and don’t know, and what kind of testing we plan to add in the future. If you’re of legal age to consume these products and live in a place where you can do so, we feel we’ve presented the information clearly that should allow you to decide whether or not to purchase.

And if it’s not your thing, then please go ahead and skip. This is a site that gives buying advice, and not everyone is going to buy everything.

DavidEssex

There’s nothing snarky about pointing out how judgmental you are.

Jonathan

Many people use vaporizers for medicinal purposes. I’m sad to see you attack Wirecutter reviews because you don’t need or desire this as medicine. For those who rely on cannabis for medicinal uses, it’s imperative we have a good source of information to go to like the Wirecutter. I’d appreciate open-mindedness and less judgement from you because you could just as easily have not looked at the review. I’m not in the market for a sound system so I don’t read reviews for sound systems. I don’t comment on them. Why would you bother reading or commenting on this thread being that you’re not in the market for one?

Trolling?

http://www.vaporizerwizard.com/ Vaporizer Wizard

Nice write up! Lot’s of good info.

Hminus

I would personally never recommend being a druggie, even a casual one, as life is so much more awesome when fulfillment is purely of your own hard work, effort and iron will, but I can only imagine how many people out there would die for a job that pays them to get high!

Paul Cypert

For companies that will find this later in a character search online, I’m commenting but that doesn’t mean I smoke

But if I were selecting a portable vaporizer, logic would dictate I’d be using it on the move. Logic would also suggest there might be times when one would need to quickly ditch said device for various reasons. So a lower price point would be my first consideration for purchase as I make a good wage, but I’d think twice before ditching 400 bucks…50-100 not so much.

Again, not that I smoke so what do I know

Naufr

That “logic” only holds up if you’re assuming one is using the vaporizer in a place where marijuana is illegal. There are plenty of people who legally smoke and want to buy a quality portable vaporizer, without any need for “quickly ditch[ing]” said device.

Paul Cypert

Two states currently out of 48 (but should rise). I’d say that plenty of people isn’t currently the majority sadly. So I’d have it as a top up recommendation for those lucky enough to never have to consider ditching, but still too high for main recommendation (pun maybe intended)

Also portable devices will get slung around in bags and what not and take more abuse than home unit. I’d add a hypothesis that a lower priced unit would be carried more often as owner wouldn’t have to worry so much about damage/replacement.

Cool Guy

There are two distinct sub categories of portable vapes, the session vape, and on-demand vape. It would be good to mention this for people new and seasoned to the world of portable vaporizers. A session vape involves a longer heat up time, and longer cool down time. Generally session vapes are easier to use for beginners and easier to share in a group. They’re not as good for people who want to take in small amounts of vapor over longer periods of time because once the oven reaches the desired temperature it also stays their longer and will continue to vaporize the plant matter whether it is being hit or not. The picks are still accurate, it would just be good to note that the firefly is an on demand vape, while the crafty is a session vape. If on demand vapor and stealth are your thing, the magic flight really excels in those categories, and despite being more finicky, once one learns how to use it could be considered the most efficient vaporizer available because it has the fastest heat up, and cool down times as well, as the shortest vapor path: this translates to the most potential out of your herbs. I do appreciate the amount of detail that’s gone into this write up, but it is really difficult for me to decide which the best portable is because there are so many areas to assess: Portability, stealth, heat up time, temperature control, vapor quality, cool down time, battery life, battery maintenance, ease of use, use in a group, general maintenance, and over-all vapor quality.

Some Guy

I recently purchased a Davinci Accent Vaporizer, and was surprised to not see it listed here as competition. I was wondering what your thoughts on it were, and how it stacks up against the rest.

Recent Crafty Owner

Price dropped to $360, FYI

Great product!

Recent Crafty Owner

apologies, $340 😉

Weedy

“What to look forward to”
Should really talk about the Grasshopper. If it works like the marketing vids it’s going to be a top 5 product for sure.

Jonathan

I have three vapes. The first one I got was the Magic Flight Launch Box. The second was a pen, the AtmosRX Orbit. The Launch Box uses too much herb, and doesn’t give the best hits, but for the price it’s decent. The Orbit’s draw is too difficult, and I never seemed to get a satisfactory draw. I have tried the original Pax also.

I decided to look for the best vape that was efficient with expensive herb and also gave a great experience. Now having the Crafty for a few days, hands down nothing comes close. Over time herb is expensive, and wasting it is more expensive then a piece of equipment used to vape it. The Crafty is alsmot perfect. I can put a single session 10 draw amount in the chamber (and use the liquid pad to fill the rest of the chamber). The draw is tasty and cool, and the after effects awesome. I finally found something to be able to put my one hitter away and not worry about carcinogens anymore.

Love the Crafty!!

Jonathan

I’d love to see your review and comparison of desktop models as well! Any chance that’s coming out soon?

Thanks for this great review!

Jonathan

For the discussion, I love my Arizer Solo. I’ve had one for four years and it’s my go-to when my Volcano is in the shop (running that fella for 6 years). It’s big but I’m not trying to use it anywhere secretly, it’s for travel purposes. The quality of vapor is exceptional considering the vapor it produces. It runs well, the charge holds well until the battery needs replaced, and it’s pretty easy to clean.

I hated my Magic Flight (gave it away as I couldn’t get a big enough cloud from it).

https://www.vaporseller.com Maggie

I have two vapes, magic flight and haze. I love haze more.

Actually I hate magic flight.

Thank you for this great review!

Dr.JA

Yet another glowing review for the Crafty, certain to encourage many new purchases. I was there not too long ago. However, in my experience, the Crafty has great vapor quality but ultimately the Crafty is poorly constructed, prone to
malfunction and breakdown.

I purchased the unit in January from Vapefiend UK. Since then, despite only light and careful usage, it has already spent anentire month out for repair and is about to go again. First error was the dreaded orange/ red flashing LED; now it is the Red/blue.

I had purchased with confidence based on the S+B brand – big mistake! Comparing my experience with the many reviews on S+B customer service, I wonder whether there might be a difference between the US and European HQs. Maybe also between the units themselves, given different power requirements between continental Europe, the UK, and North America?I have no idea. Sending to S+B from the UK is also a drag because of the UK shipping regulations with respect to devices with batteries.

BOTTOM LINE FOR ME: No Bueno. I will sell the unit when it returns from warranty service for whatever I can get. In the interim, I will purchase a new device – definitely NOT another S+B — despite their glowing reputation.

George

Guys – specially guys from Europe – did you ever heard of Crater 3000 vaporizer? I owe one and it’s best thing you can buy in Europe, I had some minor issues with the product (mouthpiece contact problem), but their customer service is great, they have replaced my unit in no time, I can recommend Crater to everyone. Crater 3000 lasts longer than Pax, because of the higher capacity battery and produces excellent vapour! You can buy crater at: http://www.mycrater.co.uk

Kyle Thomas

If anyone out there is on a budget and is looking for a vaporizer I can strongly recommend the MVP 3.0 Pro from Innokin. It comes with tons of awesome features and it’s super durable. This specific kit also came with a iSub tank which is also an amazing performer. I searched for the best price I could find and ended up going with Elite Vapes USA.

You support The Wirecutter by purchasing what we recommend. Read more.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Your Guide

A columnist, frequent contributor, and video host/producer at Vice Media, David Bienenstock is also a ten-year veteran of High Times magazine, including as West Coast Editor for the world's best-known marijuana brand. A contributor to VICE, Motherboard, Munchies, Salon, Alternet, the Guardian, and other publications, he writes about politics, music, culture, technology and travel, while making frequent media appearances, including on CNN, NPR, and Fox News.

After polling 1,200 Wirecutter readers and testing 27 tents, we found the three-person Big Agnes Blacktail 3 is the best tent for your camping needs. It’s more durable and better built than competing tents yet uses lighter-weight materials. Plus, its cheery lime-green and white color scheme creates a nicer ambiance than the orange or blue on competing tents, and that can help to boost your mood if you find yourself inside the tent on dismal days.